1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for managing information devices and, more particularly, to an information management apparatus, an information management method, and an information device for diagnosing the information device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, concerns about threats that can be caused by access to an information device such as a multifunction peripheral, a printer, or a projector via the Internet have arisen. The threats stem from the background that the Internet has become commonplace and such information devices has been highly functional. From this background, it has become important to apply security management of a security level equivalent to that of personal computers and network servers to such information devices.
At installation of an information device, settings of the information device are generally performed by a network administrator(s) according to a setup guide of the device. So long as the settings are configured in accordance with the guide, security management will be carried out appropriately. However, if an environmental change such as relocation of an office, an organizational change, or a change in network configuration during operation should occur, a large load will be placed on the administrator(s). This is because complexity of setting items of the information device and the like do not make it easy to maintain the settings appropriately.
Such security management on user's side has been known in Japanese Patent No. 5139485 (Patent document 1). A remote security-diagnosis system aimed at reducing load of visiting a client's site to maintain security is disclosed in the patent document 1. The remote security-diagnosis system includes a to-be-diagnosed server including an agent, an information collecting server configured to transmit to the agent a command to conduct security diagnosis of the to-be-diagnosed server and transmit diagnosis data, which is a result of the security diagnosis, via a public communication network, and a diagnosis server configured analyze the diagnosis data received from the information collecting server.
A technique aimed at reducing load, which is placed on the network administrator(s), of carrying out security management of a printing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2005-115519 (Patent document 2). The patent document 2 discloses a configuration including a security diagnosis device and configured to set a security level of the printing apparatus, provide a notification of a diagnosis result, and restrict printing depending on the security level.
The conventional technique disclosed in the patent document 1 requires that the information collecting server be placed on the user's side. This technique is also disadvantageous in that settings can be checked only on a per-device basis and incapable of conducting diagnosis on a per-management-area basis, e.g., on a per-office basis. Accordingly, this technique is not sufficient from the perspective of reducing the load placed on user's administrator(s). The conventional technique in the patent document 2 is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to maintain security if an office environment should change. This technique is also incapable of diagnosing settings on a per-management-area basis, e.g., on a per-office basis.
Therefore, there is a need for an information management apparatus, an information management method, and an information device for being capable of remotely diagnosing setting of the information device in a management area where the information device is installed and adapting to an environmental change in the management area.